Solidifying process for ingots.



3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Zuge/51%@ ammi Patented J an. 12, 1909.

E. P. GUINAT.

BOLIDIFYING PROCESS FOB INGOTS.

APPLIoATIou FILED JULY 3,1903. f

909,556. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

8 SHBETS-SBEET 2.

y @la FW E. P. CUINAT. SOLIDIFYNG PROCESS FOB INGOTS. APPLICATION PILBD'JULY 3,1903.

909,556. Patented Jan. 12,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

MTA/[SSIS EUGENE PAUL CUINAT, OF UNIEUX, FRANCE.

SOLIIDIFYING PROCESS FOR INGOTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Jan. 12, 1909. j

appiicaaon mea my s, 190s. serial No. 164,187.

To all 'whom 'it may concern: v

Be it known that I, EUGENE PAUL CUINAT, of the Steel Works, Unieux, Loire, Republic of France, engineer, have invented a olidi fying lrocess .for yingots, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to a process of compressing, forging and rolling steel ingots after their withdrawal yfrom the molds but before they have completely hardened or solidified.

All processes hitherto invented for compressing ingots which have not hardened or become solid consist in effecting this compression in the mold into which theI metal has just been poured. This process might be satisfactory if it was not only a matter of suppressing the hollow due to shrinkage but also to prevent flaws or air holes, but as at present by a judicious addition of silicon, manganese and above all by the employment of aluminum it is possible to obtain steel free from aws or air.holes and the problem to be solved is confined to preventing shrinkage taking place during solidication of the metal and thus to realize a considerable economy in the loss of height which this shrinkage necessitates at the up-.

per part of the ingots. Now this result may be obtained by processes which are more simple, more rapid-and less costly than those hitherto in use by operating direct upon the ingot which has been withdrawn from its mold instead of compressing it in its mold.

The principle of this new process is as follows It is known that in its transitionn from the molten to the solid state, steel passes through an intermediate state in which it consists of grains already solidified surrounded by a cement still fluid and has only the consistence of -fresh mortar made from sandA and quick lime, so that it opens and disintegrates under the influence of/the slightest e'ect of extension.

Figure 1 is a section of aningot iinmediately after it is cast and in the earliest stage of the rocess; Fig. 2 is also a section of an ingot, ut representing the solidifying process as somewhat more advanced; Fig. 3 represents a more advanced stage of the process, the ingot being represented in section, as before; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but representing the process as still further advanced; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view,

on all sides; Fig. 6 is a plan of an ingot, showing the form which it would take when the resulting ingot was to be substantially square in section with flat faces; Fig. 7 is a plan of an ingot having convex faces when cast, the resulting ingot having flat faces; Fig. 8 is a plan representing a finished ingot with concave faces, the same having flat faces when originally cast; Fig. 9 represents an ingot of the general form in Fig. 7 this ingothaving, however, concave faces formed from flat faces by a pressure. Fig. l0 represents partly in section and partly in elevation, a press to compress the ingots in the manner above described; Fig. 1l is a plan of the same apparatus; Fig. 12. is a view partly in section and partly in elevation ,of a modified form of press in which the pressure is applied by means of rollers or cams; Fig. 13 is a plan of this modified construction; Fig. 14 is an elevation partly in section; and Fig. 15 is a plan of ,another modification.

In these figures the same letters designate the same parts.

ln order that the invention may be more clearly understood I have shown at Fig. l the section of an ingot just cast; in this ligure the part which is cross hatched with oblique lines indicates the ymetal which has already solidified; the part indicated by slots represents that portion of the metal where the structure consists of grains. The horizontal lines represent the steel which is still liquid or molten. It is seen that at this time the portion of the in ot which has completely solidified is so thin in places that it would break under a very small strain; it thus results that it would not be' considered possible to take the ingot out of the mold and to manipulate it in this state. But if a few minutes are allowed to pass (the number of which vary with the size and form of the ingots) the conditions are changed as shown in Fi 2. The exterior is then completely solidi ed and has become much thicker; in the granular portion above referred to, the cement has congealed around the grains; by this fact that portion hatched with oblique lines is transformed into steel which is forgeable, tenacious, plastic and capable of supporting, without breaking or cracking, elongations and deformations much more considerable than the same metal would support in a cold state; at the same time ingot, the steel which is granular or Huid is caused to rise towards the top and to till up the hollow which would be lett there by shrinkage, during which the contact of the cold tools at the same time as local applications of water (either in the form 0I sprayor jets) or any other refrigerating means causing the oxid which is roi-ined on the metal to be cleaned oli', will hasten the soliditication of the interior metal.

l'lie operation may thus be acceleratedat will, which improves the nietal by preventing crystallization and eliquation which result from a slow cooling, so that if the pressure is gradually increased towards the top there will be obtained, if the operation is carefully performed a full strong ingot. Figs. and l represent longitudinal vertical sections of an ingot after two applications of successive pressure and Fig. 5 a diagram- `matic view of the pressing tools d arranged around the ingot a upon which the deformations produced are indicated in dotted lines. These deformations having only to compensate :for the volume of shrinkage in the interior will not be considerable so that it is only necessary to compress the faces of the ingot without touching the angles as shown at Fig. 5. The cast ingots may have given to them a form which will facilitate their compression. It will generally be an advantage to make the sides of the ingot mold slightly concave so as to obtain ingots slightly convex as shown in Fig. 6 for ingots to have a square section and as shown at Fig. 7 for flat ingots. This convexity will be calculated in such a way that by reducingr the surfaces to a iat state, it will compensate i'or the interior shrinkage.

Flat ingots for making into sheets will only need to be compressed upon their two large surfaces, the cooling of the small sides being eli'ected by sprinkling of water. However if there is no objection to having ingots the sides of which are hollow after compre"- sion as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, there is no reason why they should not be cast with flat or slightly concave faces so that these latter may be caused to enter more easily by the compression, the metal will stand the necessary extension without cracking. v

For all ingots of small dimensions, it will be more simple to take the ingot out of its mold and to transport it in a vertical position to the compressing apparatus. lngots a larger size should on the contrary be cast upon a movable carriage which will permit it to be transported with its mold under the apparatus which will remove the mold and aiterwards under the compressing apparatus which will only be movable in a vertical direction. The compression may be veffected in diiferent Ways and the arrangements may be varied according to the form and weight of the ingots.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example three modified forms of apparatus capable of realizing this method of compression.

The method of compression above referred to may be carried into effect by several arrangements the principal of which are: l. A system of presses acting on each side of the ingot which remains a lixture. 2. A system of small rollers or cams between which the ingot is pusliedwhich causes the rollers or cams to rotate. 3.' A rolling mill for use with Hat ingots having two cylinders betweenwhich the ingot is caused to travel by the rotary movement of the two cylinders.

The system of hydraulic or other presses` is shown in Figs. l0 and 11. It consists of four presses arranged at right angles to each other. leach consists of a cylinder b and a piston 0. lhe four cylinders are in coinmuiiication with each other so that when one receives the Water under pressure the others receive it at the same time. Each pistonis provided on one :tace with pump leather and on the other with a'foi'ging tool d. lt is guided above and below by rods e in the form of bolts which connect it to a spring j' which has a constant tendency to cause the piston to enter the cylinder. lhe

ingot a is shown on its base in the center or this system of4 presses. The chains or links g coiiliect this apparatus with a crane which permits it to be moved vertically so as to vary the point at which the pressure is applied to the ingot, as above described. A current of water for cooling is shown at L acting in conjunction with the presses.

The operation is carried out in the following manner. WVlien the ingot has been cast a certain time-is allowed to pass, variable accordingto its weight, it is then taken out of the mold and conveyed under the press, a series of progressive compressions is applied between which compressions successive vertical displacements of the apparatus take place traveling in an upward direction; little by little the lateral sides of the ingot are compressed thus preventing the formation of any hollows due to shrinkage.

The system by means of compressing rollers or cams is shown in Figs. l2 and 13. It

consists of four rollers or A cams i facing each other and arranged at right angles, eac

of which is movable on its axis. They are each provided at y' with a recess to permit the ingot to be readily engaged. The center of the apparatus is placed below the hydraulic or other press lc. Before the machine is put into operation, the cams or rollers are arranged so that the recesses y' are all facing one another as shown in the drawing; the ingot taken from its mold and still molten in its interior is placed in position and it is caused to descend by means of the ram la un-` til it passes out ot the bottom of the apparatus. The ingot causes the cams or rollers to rotate and is thus compressed laterally from below upwards during which the cooling current h, hastening the cooling of the ingit, permits the compression to be accelerate The apparatus having only two rollers or cams is shown diagrammatically at Figs. 14C and l5. These two rollers Z are analogous to those employed in rolling mills; they have each a depression m enabling the ingot to be readily engaged. The two rollers acted upon simultaneously by any suitable gearing are placed so that the depressions are tace to face. The ingot a is placed in position and it is, drawn downward by the rotation of the rollers and compressed upon its two large faces. A currentof water h accelerates the cooling and prevents the sides which are not .sustained bursting under the action of the internal pressure.

Special attention is called to the fact that the effect of the cooling water is local, operating to form a thinshell laround the inner plastic or molten ingot. If this shell were not formed, the pressure on the sides of the ingot would have only a surface effect. However, on account of the presence of this shell, the pressure on the sides of the ingot does not affect the surface locally so as to disturb its structure,but simply forces the shell inwardly as though it Were a compressing plate. 1n this way the molten interior of the ingot is forced upwardly and piping is prevented.

Claim.

The process of solidifying ingots having afluid interior which consists in spraying the side walls thereof to produce a sudden cooling, and to form a hard external shell, and simultaneously pressing said shell inwardly upon the soft interior to weld together the inner parts of the opposing side Walls at a high temperature.

The foregoing specification of my Solidifying process for ingots signed by me this sixteenth day of June, 1903.

EUGENE PAUL CUINAT. [1.. a]

Witnesses:

J. ALLIsoN BOWEN, REN CHIRIoT. 

